Nisete Augusta De Amigo,Peter Cornelis Roebeling,Paula Duarte Lopes, Universidade de Aveiro, Ambiente e Ordenamento, naamigo@ua.pt
Abstract
The natural resource management literature argues that sustainable natural resources management requires a process to facilitate understanding through exchange of experiences and validation between the parties involved to reach a consensus. The analysis of involved stakeholders does not by itself create such a negotiation platform. Coupled normative scenario and participatory approaches support stakeholder discussions on trade-offs between the current and future situation in an iterative process, of building normative scenarios as to converge towards a shared vision of a common future. The aim of this study is to show that the use of normative scenarios combined with the participation of stakeholders could facilitate more informed, sustainable and equitable decision making regarding water resources management futures. Building trust and understanding among stakeholders allow for the legitimacy of alternative views, which for transboundary river basins is even more critical though absent in the development of single (international) transboundary river basin plans.
Keywords: Normative scenarios, negotiation platform, transboundary basins